Sentences to ponder

~ Jason Schwartz

“For patients presenting to initiate treatment, the on-ramping/off-ramping process with MOUD mattered more than the impact of treatment choice on mortality or side effects.”

Muthulingam, D., Hassett, T. C., Madden, L. M., Bromberg, D. J., Fraenkel, L., & Altice, F. L. (2023). Preferences in medications for patients seeking treatment for opioid use disorder: A conjoint analysis. Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 154, 209138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209138

Impact on mortality ranked 4 out of 5 in relative importance for treatment attributes for people seeking treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. (see table below) Not only was it 4th, it was far behind on-ramping and off-ramping.

  • If treatment seekers rank mortality that low, how salient is mortality in non-treatment-seeking populations?
  • What are the implications for public health and treatment efforts with this population?
  • How might this vary by problem severity and complexity?
  • Does this imply that their highest priorities are ameliorating suffering and avoiding iatrogenic suffering?
  • What does this say about their relationship with opioids? What are the public health and treatment implications of that relationship?
Muthulingam, D., Hassett, T. C., Madden, L. M., Bromberg, D. J., Fraenkel, L., & Altice, F. L. (2023). Preferences in medications for patients seeking treatment for opioid use disorder: A conjoint analysis. Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 154, 209138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209138
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Published by Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.